I have applied to be a part of Rayakottai Fort trek and got shortlisted. Finally, the day has come. I am so excited because it is my first trek with Bangalore Trekking Club. Our organizers for this trek is Dinesh Gupta and Aravindh Jho. Reporting time in Majestic is at 6.45am, eighteen of us have assembled in the spot. We got the tickets and boarded a train to rayakottai station. For finding a perfect place to sit together, we changed from initially boarded compartment to another one just to find out that it doesn't have enough place. Then, just one minute before the departure of the train we decided to head back to initially boarded compartment. We made a run to it and last person among us got into before the train sped up. We all found places to sit and reserved couple of seats for three people boarding at the Byappanahalli station. They too made it in time at the station and our count has come to twenty-one.
I came to know about the customary introduction that everyone has to give before the start of the trek. As we introduced ourselves, we have got the attention of other travelers in our compartment who really enjoyed watching us. It is almost two hour ride to the rayakottai station from majestic and it got over. We all got down at the station and finalized the good view for the group picture and got moving. We hired a couple of autos to reach the base of the hill and we were 21 people travelling in two autos. DG was literally foot-boarding in the auto and he has to get down in order to get the auto moving if it is little sloppy area.
Once we reached the base, we had a head count and DG and Aravind explained us the do’s and dont’s. Then we started climbing up the hill. We moved up slowly and steadily. Whenever there is a view, we introduced a generous break for photo session. We stopped for some time briefly at a temple located inside a cave on our way up. Some interested people also visited inside the temple. Again, we are en-route to the top of the hill. The sun was blazing hot on our way up and we took a cover under a destroyed mandap for snack break. Once, the break is over it is all the way up to the highest point in the hill. We reached the highest point and spent some good time over there. The town was beautiful from up there and we did take a group picture over there.
We started climbing down and found a perfect place for the lunch. And so it began the awesome part of the day, potluck lunch time. Friends have brought some awesome and yummy food and we got the taste of all of home-made food. It was followed by the entertainment hour, we played the ping-pong game, the game in which we will assume other person’s identity and have to say ping when that name is called by others. It was a fun game and the time ran away so quickly it almost became our trek-down time.
The trek-down is so swift, it ended very quickly. In no time we reached the base of the hill. We again took a head count and decided to walk to the bus station which is around 1.5-2 km from the hill. We decided to take bus while returning to the bangalore and after having cool-drinks we boarded the bus. DG bought us the steaming vadas and we had another round snacks in the bus. It took barely 45 minutes in bus to reach hosur.
Once we reach hosur, we took an another bus to bangalore. We had an feedback session inside the bus. This ride is quick as well, in another one hour we have reached silk board junction. Few of us got down in the silk board junctions and other people were to get down at market bus stop. From the silk board, I bid adieu to other trekkers and started to my room.
Overall it is an amazing trek that was enjoyed thoroughly for every moment and special kudos to DG and Aravindh for organizing this trek. And, that's the tale of 21 trekkers who braved the unyielding sun on a fine sunday.
P.S. The pictures found here are taken by co-trekkers. Credit goes to them
P.S. The pictures found here are taken by co-trekkers. Credit goes to them
